• Project No. and Title: WERA103 - Nutrient Management and Water Quality
• Dates: 03/10/2026 to 03/12/2026
• Contacts: [Jared Spackman] [Debankur Sanyal]

This authorizes the annual meeting: .
The meeting will be held on 03/10/2026 at Yuma, Arizona. :

Admin Advisor: Troy A Bauder (troy.bauder@colostate.edu)

WERA103 Nutrient Management and Water Quality<br /> Day 1 — Tuesday, March 10, 2026<br /> Location: Yuma Agricultural Center<br /> 6425 W 8th St, Yuma, AZ<br /> Meeting Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM<br /> <br /> 8:30–9:00 AM — Coffee/Tea & Arrival, Connect to zoom<br /> <br /> 9:00–9:15 — Welcome & Agenda Review: Amber Moore <br /> • Introductions<br /> • Meeting goals and logistics<br /> <br /> 9:15–9:30 — Election of WERA-103 Secretary (2026–2027)<br /> Three year commitment (Secretary, Vice-Chair, Chair)<br /> Start off as secretary, rounds up state reports, takes note during committee meeting, other board-type tasks behind the scenes.<br /> Secretary term begins at close of meeting.<br /> <br /> 9:30–9:45 — State Representatives Discussion<br /> • Confirm current state representatives<br /> • Identify participation gaps<br /> • Clarify expectations and roles<br /> <br /> 9:45–10:30 — Administrative Advisor Update<br /> Troy Bauder presiding<br /> • General updates<br /> • NIMSS reporting expectations<br /> <br /> 10:30–10:45 — Break<br /> <br /> 10:45–12:15 — State Reports<br /> Reports due March 9 to Joao Souza.<br /> • Informal discussion of nutrient management news, updates in each state<br /> • Emphasis on:<br /> o Activities tied to WERA objectives, Multistate collaboration, Impacts<br /> <br /> 12:15–1:15 — Lunch<br /> Host: Debankur Sanyal<br /> <br /> WERA-103 Project Objective Discussions:<br /> 1:15-1:45: Objective 1<br /> Improve crop nutrient recommendations based on evolving research, knowledge, technology, and societal priorities.<br /> Procedures for Objective 1 — Improve Nutrient Recommendations:<br /> 1. Facilitate multi-state research-extension-education collaborative projects to improve crop nutrient recommendations;<br /> 2. Develop/refine multi-state nutrient use standards for western crop production systems;<br /> 3. Integrate emerging soil-health assessment techniques into improved crop nutrient recommendations;<br /> 4. Evaluate and support adoption of new nutrient analytical techniques and interpretive methodologies.<br /> <br /> 1:45 – 2:15: Objective 2<br /> Develop strategies for sustainable agricultural production that support increased yields while protecting air and water resources without conversion of additional non-agricultural lands.<br /> Procedures for Objective 2 — Develop Strategies for Sustainable Intensification:<br /> 1. Facilitate multi-state research-extension-education collaborative projects to develop and/or evaluate productivity, nutrient/water-use efficiency, sustainability, and economic feasibility of conservation management systems such as, but not limited to, perennial rotation phases, cover crops, organic amendments, and livestock integration;<br /> 2. Evaluate and/or develop standards for use of amendments, biostimulants, nutrient delivery systems, enhanced-efficiency fertilizers, and other novel products/approaches for improving nutrient-use efficiency;<br /> 3. Evaluate and revise soil/plant/water/amendment analysis guidelines to reflect changing management practices;<br /> 4. Develop and/or participate in efforts to develop and refine standardized soil health assessment methods, particularly for arid and semiarid regions.<br /> <br /> 2:15-2:45: Objective 3<br /> Create educational programs and outreach materials on the principles of soil-plant-animal-water systems, soil properties that affect nutrient management, best soil/amendment testing and nutrient recommendation practices, and new research-based management strategies.<br /> Procedures for Objective 3 — Educational Programs and Outreach:<br /> 1. Organize and expand the biennial Western Nutrient Management Conference to provide science-based information to consultants, educators, industry representatives, students, and researchers;<br /> 2. Contribute to national and regional technical publications as individuals representing the WERA-103 group to provide information primarily to agricultural consultants and educators (e.g., Crops & Soils Magazine); at least one additional periodical outlet will be targeted during this project period;<br /> 3. Produce multi-media presentations on soil fertility and nutrient management for use in CCA training, extension programming, K-12, and college courses;<br /> 4. Develop collaborative efforts to write, revise, and publish regionally relevant extension publications and materials that extend the latest science-based practices for nutrient management in western crop production systems.<br /> <br /> 2:45–3:00 — Break<br /> <br /> 3:00–3:30 — Crops & Soils Article Planning Lead: Chris Rogers<br /> <br /> 3:30–4:00 — PAQ / Budget Update Lead: Mershon Tobin<br /> • Financial overview<br /> • Conference administrative coordination<br /> • Budget considerations<br /> <br /> 4:00–4:30 — WNMC Overview & 2025 Reflection Lead: Amber Moore<br /> • 2025 WNMC Evaluation highlights, Lessons learned<br /> • Considerations before Thursday planning session for 2027 WNMC, Begin thinking about potential topics/speakers<br /> <br /> 4:30–5:00 — Open Discussion / Announcements<br /> Emerging issues, networking, informal discussion. <br /> Day 2 — Wednesday, March 11, 2026<br /> Arizona Agricultural Tour Day<br /> Field Trip Hosts: Charlie Sanchez & Debankur Sanyal<br /> Tentative Schedule: (Schedule flexible depending on industry partners.)<br /> • 8:00–8:45 — Pickup (Location TBD)<br /> • 9:00–10:15 — Top Flavor Farms visit<br /> • 10:30–12:00 — JV Smith cooling facility<br /> • 12:15–1:30 — Lunch at YCEDA<br /> • 2:00–3:30 — Salad processing facility<br /> • ~4:00 — Return<br /> <br /> Day 3 — Thursday, March 12, 2026<br /> <br /> 8:30–9:00 AM — Coffee/Tea & Arrival, Connect to zoom<br /> <br /> 9:00–9:20 — NAPT Update Lead: Bryan Hopkins<br /> • Program updates, Soil health/carbon initiatives, Relevance to WERA collaboration<br /> <br /> 9:20–9:50 — WNMC Planning Warm-Up: Amber Moore<br /> • Recap Tuesday discussion<br /> • Logistics overview: Venue considerations, Hybrid format, Poster session adjustments, PAQ coordination<br /> <br /> 9:50–10:15 — WNMC Brainstorm Session (Part 1)<br /> Goal: Generate strong initial speaker/session pool.<br /> • Emerging topic areas, Potential speakers, Session development<br /> • Emphasis on peer-reviewed, cutting-edge ideas<br /> • Amber will look up every suggested speaker, evaluate for program following last year as a model (well established speaker, publications supporting presentation, low bias, significant results, big impact, Western emphasis)<br /> <br /> 10:15–10:30 — Break<br /> <br /> 10:30–12:00 — WNMC Brainstorm Session (Part 2)<br /> <br /> 12:00 — Adjourn Safe travels.